Nut-lock



(No Model.)

W. J. MGTIGHE.

NUT LOOK} I No. 334,790. Patented Jan. 26, 1886.

Wz'Zzzemey fizyaizi'ak M ran STATES r met.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION formin art of Letters Patent No. 334,790, dated January26, 1886.

Application filed March 14, 1885. Serial No. 158,827. (No model.)

form of nut-lock, and belongs to that general class which are in thenature of a follower applied to the bolt after the nut has been screwedhome.

The invention consists in a plate, preferably of elastic metal, having acentral aperture for the reception of the bolt, and one or moreinwardly-projecting tongues adapted to take final position on the boltonly by screwing down thereon, whereby the tongues are forced to gripthe bolt, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

My improved nut-lock may be made in various forms, all of which,however, will be seen to be based on the same general plan of grip, anddiffer only in shape.

The simplest form is shown by Figure 1, which is a longitudinal sectionof a bolt and nut with my improved lock applied. Fig. 2 is a plan andedge view of the same form of look. Fig. 3 is a plan and edge view of amodification. Fig. 4 is an edge view of another form. Figs. 5 and 6 areplan views of further modifications.

A is the bolt, and B the nut applied thereto.

I stamp, punch, or otherwise shape out a square, hexagonal, or othershaped lockingplate, 0, having a central opening; but I cut it with oneor more tongues, d, having concave inner edges whose general radius issmaller than the outer thread-radius of the bolt A. Tongues d are thenshaped up so as to rise somewhat above the plane of the plate 0, and bypreference their inner edges are canted slightly to conform with theboltthreads. Thus shaped the plate 0 will not pass onto bolt A, exceptby treating it as a nut and screwing it on by means of the tongues cl.As the plate 0 is screwed down, it meets the face of nut B, and canitself go no farther; but the tongues d, being more or less elastic,being preferably made of spring-steel, can be forced along the threadedportion of the bolt in a tightening direction, and act in a mannersimilar to a togglelever, so as to have their edges pressed against thebolt with great firmness. The action'then is to hold the nut tight onthe bolt so long as the plate 0 does not turn to loosen; but this cannottake place, because of the relation of the tongues d and plate 0 withthe bolt and nut. The pressure exerted by the elastic tongues (l ispractically at right angles to the direction necessary to turn theplate, just as in the case of a worm and wormwheel, and in aproperly-constructed worm and wheel the latter is rigidly locked againstmovement, except by rotating the worm. At the same time the constructionpermits of the ready withdrawal of the plate 0 by simply unscrewing it,without injuring it or the bolt in any manner. It is easily made, cheap,and very efficient, and can be applied and withdrawn repeatedly withoutinjuring either the lock or bolt.

In Fig. 3 the plate 0 has its tongues d bent in under and projectingupwardly through its central aperture.

In Fig. 4 the plate 0, formed as shown in Fig. 2, has its outer edgesbeaded to give stiff ness, for the application of a wrench.

Fig. 5 has the plate 0 formed with four tongues, d, of the same generalcharacter.

Fig. 6 is a hexagonal plate, 0, with three tongues, d, similarly formed.

The particular configuration of the plate 0 may be varied. It may becurved or fiat or corrugated; but in all cases the locking will beeffected by the inward forcing of the tongue or tongues d as they arecompressed toward the plate 0 in forcing the latter to rotate around thebolt and compelling the edges of the tongues to follow the inclinedplane presented by the bolt-threads.

The invent-ion is designed as an improvement on the lock for which Ihave obtained Letters Patent No. 282,348, dated July 31, 1883, and No.307,671, dated November 4, 1884; and as it preserves the samecharacteristic of screwing onto the bolt and taking frictional gripwithout penetrating or cutting into the body of the bolt, it is to bedistintoo guished from that class of top locks wherein the grip isestablished by forcing some part of the lock-plate into the body of thebolt.

I I claim as my invention 1. A nut-lock consisting of a metallic platehaving a central bolt-hole formed by one or more tongues projecting outof the plane of said plate, said tongues having their inner or grippingedges substantially smooth and forming the bolt-hole, the whole adaptedto use by screwing onto the bolt by the inner edges of said tonguestaking into the bolt-threads, and

eTfecting frictional contact therewith, substan- I tially as described.

2. A nut-lock consisting of a flat or curved plate, 0, having a centralbolt-aperture form ed tinued rotation of the plate forces the tongues 01more tightly against the b olt, l

In'testimony that I claiin the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.-

WILLIAM JOSEPH MOTIGHE.

Witnesses:

JNo. F. ATOHESON, T. J. MoTIGHE.

